Ethiopia, World Bank Sign $1.3B Loan, Grant AgreementSeptember 30, 2017 - The World Bank on Friday signed a $1.3 billion loan and grant agreement with Ethiopia’s government to improve governance and fund an anti-poverty package that provides financial relief for Ethiopians facing food shortages. The WB said a loan of $700 million would be used to "improve equitable access to basic services and strengthen accountability in Ethiopia" in education, health, agriculture and other sectors. The remaining $600 million was a grant to finance Ethiopia’s "Rural Productive Safety Net" scheme, which is handing out cash or food to 8 million people in exchange for participation in public development projects, a statement said. An additional 8.5 million people in Ethiopia are currently in need of emergency food aid owing to severe drought. In June, the government and humanitarian groups warned that Ethiopia would run out of relief food for 7.8 million people hit by the drought, which has also affected Kenya and Somalia.

Source: Ethiopian News September 30, 2017 19:07 UTC